During his visit to Israel on April 19, 2009, UNEP Executive Director Achim Steiner participated in a seminar at Tel Aviv University along with Minister of Environmental Protection Gilad Erdan. Mr. Steiner has served as Executive Director of UNEP since 2006 and previously served as Director General of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) from 2001 to 2006. Mr. Steiner's lecture was entitled "From Crisis to Opportunity - Greening the Economy" and comes in the aftermath of the publication of a UNEP report on "A Global Green New Deal." The report, commissioned by UNEP's Green Economy Initiative, advises policymakers on the key areas where investment is required to power sustainable economic recovery and help accelerate the move toward a strong and sustainable economy, which provides long-term employment opportunities. According to the report, through an investment of about one percent of current global GDP (about $750 billion) in infrastructure, energy efficient building, renewable energies, improved transportation systems, etc., it would be possible to power the global economy out of recession and improve the state of the environment. In describing the potential to move from opportunity to crisis, the final report, "A Global Green New Deal", issued in February 2009, states: "The multiple crises threatening the world economy today demand the same kind of initiative as shown by Roosevelt's New Deal in the 1930s, but at the global scale and embracing a wider vision. The right mix of policy actions can stimulate recovery and at the same time improve the sustainability of the world economy. If these actions are adopted, over the next few years they will create millions of jobs, improve the livelihoods of the world's poor and channel investments into dynamic economic sectors. A "Global Green New Deal" (GGND) refers to such a timely mix of polices." The Israeli seminar and environmental panel on greening the economy was organized by the Ministry of Environmental Protection, the Harold Hartog School of Government and Policy at Tel Aviv University, Maala - Business for Social Responsibility and the Israeli business daily Globes. Mr. Achim Steiner's lecture was followed by a discussion panel with representatives of investment firms, NGOs, Tel Aviv University and the Ministry of Environmental Protection. UNEP Executive Director's Meeting with Israel's Minister of Environmental Protection The event at Tel Aviv University concluded an eventful day, during which Mr. Steiner and his colleagues visited the seawater desalination plant in Ashkelon, the waste recycling center at Hiriya and Ariel Sharon Park. The aim of the visits to these sites was to show Mr. Steiner areas in which Israel has developed an expertise, which could be of interest both to UNEP as the global leader of the environmental agenda and to countries where such expertise could be of assistance. Mr. Steiner was impressed with the facilities presented to him. During the course of his visit, Israel's Environmental Protection Minister, Mr. Gilad Erdan, asked for Mr. Steiner's assistance in advancing a regional conference with the participation of Egypt, Jordan and the Palestinian Authority, on means of solving common environmental issues. Furthermore, during their discussion, Minister Erdan informed UNEP's Executive Director of his intention to spearhead a conceptual change on environmental issues among Israel's decision makers. He noted that priorities should be changed and that the current economic crisis presents a unque opportunity to promote and develop innovative environmental technologies, which are beneficial both environmentally and economically. Israel has a longstanding relationship with UNEP and with the institutions under its administration, such as the Mediterranean Action Plan for the Protection of the Mediterranean Sea.
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